God’s creation in nature is beautiful. We never know what gem he has hiddin in it. Sometimes small creatures around us have distinctive character, but we fail to look at it, and one such creation is Shima Enaga. It is also known as the long-tailed chickadee, a subspecies of the long-tailed chickadee (Aegithalos caudatus). Shima enaga subspecies, however, are only found on Hokkaido, Japan’s second-largest island.
The Shima enaga has been a beloved bird in Japan for a long time, and the Japanese call them Shima enaga, which translates to ‘long-tailed island tit.’ These birds are known for their fluffy, pure white feathers and long tails, which make them look like little snowballs hopping from branch to branch.
The history of Shima Enaga is intertwined with the history of Hokkaido. The island was inhabited by the Ainu for centuries before the arrival of Japanese settlers in the late 19th century. The Ainu people had a close relationship with the land and the animals that lived there, including the Shima Enaga.
These fluffy white birds are only found in this region and have tails that run half the length of their bodies, measuring between 13 and 15 centimetres. Typically, long-tailed tits have distinct black “eyebrows” that sweep above their eyes. However, the tits in Hokkaido lose their eyebrows as they transition into adulthood, leaving them with a pure white face that makes them look like little snowmen.
The species has a unique feature that sets it apart from its counterparts in other regions. As adults, they lose their distinctive black ‘eyebrows’, leaving them with a completely white face that resembles a small snowman.
Shima Enaga birds are found exclusively on Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. They live year-round in this region, where their white feathers help them remain unnoticed during the long, snowy winters. They feed mainly on insects, seeds, and berries, which they forage in the forests of Hokkaido.
Shima Enaga faces significant challenges due to climate change. Japan’s climate is changing rapidly, and this is having a significant impact on the Shima Enaga’s habitat and food sources. One of the main challenges facing Shima Enaga is the loss of its habitat. The bird lives in forests, but many of these areas are being destroyed by development and deforestation. As a result, Shima Enaga is losing the places it needs to live and reproduce.
The Shima Enaga bird is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This means that they are not considered endangered today.